Re:tro Re:view - Creature from the Black Lagoon!

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) stands as my favorite horror movie with a creature that is incomparable and defies any remake. George Hamilton “Bud” Westmore was the head of the make-up department, but I still think one of the most iconic monster designs of all time rests in the hands of Milicent Patrick. There was publicity photos of her posing next to the sculpt of the Gill Man and they wanted to promote her as “The Beauty Who Created the Beast”, but Westmore didn’t like the attention Patrick gained even though she gave credit to him.  She was an actress, concert pianist, and the first female animator at Disney.  

The only recent version of the Gill-Man was in The Monster Squad (1987) with designs by Stan Winston. There is something elegant and otherworldly about the Gill-Man. This movie is directed by Jack Arnold who was well known for It Came from Outer Space (1953) and then later The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). The story is by Maurice Zimm with a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross. It was filmed using 3D. There were two sequels Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). We hear the blaring trumpets of the score by Henry Mancini, Herman Stein, and Hans J. Salter as we get to the film’s title, the narrator gives the Biblical account of the creation of Earth, as we see the explosions and smoke before we get the painted look at the Earth with the scientific account of Earth’s beginning.  

The narrator mentions life in the sea and we see footprints along a beach.  There is a panning shot of Amazon rain forest.  A scientific expedition is running around about a discovery.  A scientist, Dr. Maia (Antonio Moreno), uses a camera to see the fossilized claw reaching out from a rock formation. He is asked about the fossil by Luis (Rodd Redwing). Dr. Maia uses an axe to remove the hand. He informs Luis that he is headed to the institute at Marajo. Maia takes the sample to his camp, and we see bubbles in the nearby river.  A clawed hand from a living creature emerges from the river water.  Then, we get the Instituto de Biologia Maritima, a boat is launched from the dock.   

It pulls up to a floating platform, we see Dr. Carl Maia in a white suit and Kay (Julie Adams) in shorts. She gives a tug to the line and we descend down to the 40 feet marker.  Through the sea weed is an aqualung diver, Dr. David Reed (Richard Carlson), he drifts at the 5 feet marker to avoid the Bends. A fairly new invention, the aqualung which becomes known as scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus), was popularized in 1946. David is excited to see Dr. Maia and Julia helps remove his aqualung. Maia asks why the two of them are in Brazil since he heard they were doing research for a Californian aquarium.  The aquariums of that time are Marineland of the Pacific and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.  David replies that they are looking for lungfish for a month.  

Dr. Maia asks if they are married and Kay replies that David just wants to live together. He shows David the photo he took in a rock formation dating to the Devonian Age. This is 416 to 358 million years ago called the Age of Fishes. The lungfish emerged from this time. David boards the boat and David looks at the fossilized hand as Kay drives the boat.  Kay and David are interested in working with Dr. Maia.  He asks about their employer, Williams, and David says any publicity would get his interest.  We see the inside of an aquarium tank including several leopard sharks, a pan over as Kay looks in from another window.  

Dr. Maia brings the fossilized hand to a table.  David, Kay, Mark Williams (Richard Denning), and Dr. Edwin Thompson (Whit Bissell) theorize about the fossil.  Dr. Maia hopes to assemble an expedition and they all offer to be part of it.  David goes over to check a lungfish in a tank and then wondering about traveling to other planets and encountering different environments.  We see the hand of Gill-man reach to the land again at night.  His perspective is seen as he walks toward the expedition tent.  A growling is heard and Luis watches as the hand of the Gill-man reaches into the tent.  On land, the Gill-man was played by Ben Chapman.  He reaches for a lamp and throws it at the intruder who screams, his hand covers the head of the man.  Tomas tries to use his knife on it, but is killed. 

The figure of the Gill Man, Icons of Darkness, 2023, author’s photo. 

The small boat, the Rita, chugs along the Amazon River. The captain, Lucas (Nestor Paiva), hears the complaints of Mark. Dr. Maia has set up a lab in the boat. Kay acts as a mediator between Mark and David. Lucas sounds the horn on the Rita which sends a crocodile into the river. David says to Kay that everything is like the Devonian Age. Lucas adds that everything here are killers.  They take a rowboat and Maia calls for his assistants, but no answer. We see the hand of one of them in rictus in the tent as the scientists approach. David has Kay stay by the boat. They enter the tent and Maia thinks it is a jaguar attack. Kay is looking around and the Gill-man hand reaches out slowly towards her feet.  

David calls out for Kay and she walks over with the claws just missing her. The dig has begun with axes and shovels on the rock. They are sweaty and tired, Mark complains that it has been eight days, David wants to know where the river leads. Maia says it ends in a lagoon. David believes part of the rock formation broke off and ended in the lagoon.  He is worried about Kay with the murdered men, but she can tough it out. Lucas says it is called the Black Lagoon. A little further out is the Blue Lagoon. The Rita continues on, Kay listens to the monkeys howling, and David kisses her. Mark reaches the deck with his spear gun, Lucas is impressed by it, and Mark fires a spear at the mast. The Rita narrowly slips into the Black Lagoon.    

David wants to check the lagoon using the aqua lung, a net is dropped to check for fish, Mark and David go out using the aqua lungs. We see freshwater fish. The underwater scenes were shot at Wakulla Springs State Park in Florida. The underwater photography was by Bruce Mozert and really sells the Creature. Mark explores the area, the Gill-man reaches out his hand, but misses him. David goes to cut down an underwater plant and we see the Gill-man underwater (played by Ricou Browning). Kay spots their bubbles as they wait a bit before climbing the boat’s ladder.  David gives the rock samples to Dr. Maia and the plant to Kay. She asks about the lagoon and David says it’s like another world.  

Julie Adams at her book signing of The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections from the Black Lagoon, Dark Delacies, 2011, photo by the author. 

Kay takes off her shirt revealing her white swimsuit. She leaps into the lagoon and swims past the Rita. We see her swimming from below and also there is the Gill-man! He swims below her.  It is a strange, underwater ballet. The scene is identical to the opening of Jaws (1975). Kay treads water, the Gill-man is about to touch her, but shyly keeps back. He touches her and swims away as Kay looks underwater. Lucas reaches the top deck and is shocked to see Kay swimming. The others are also stunned to see her a distance away in the lagoon. 

The Gill-man swims after her, but she is pulled aboard the Rita. The fishing net groans under some force. The boom cracks, but the fishing net is pulled up, torn to pieces. David wants to study the Gill-man, but Mark wants to capture it.  It is the resourcefulness of scientists against a lonely creature which of course leads to it’s lair. Guillermo del Toro was inspired by the film, but wanted the Creature to end up with the girl in The Shape of Water (2017) which won him Academy Awards. Creature from the Black Lagoon is a horror classic that stands apart from the others with an incredible Creature with his own humanity!      

Five Aqualungs out of Five!

#CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon, #JackArnold, #MauriceZimm, #HarryEssex, #ArthurRoss,  #MilicentPatrick , #HenryMancini, #HermanStein, #HansJSalter, #JulieAdams, #RichardCarlson, #RichardDenning, #WhitBissell, #NestorPaiva, #AntonioMoreno, #BenChapman, #RicouBrowning, #TheMonsterSquad, #StanWinston, #GuillermoDelToro, #TheShapeOfWater 

Re:tro Re:view - An American Werewolf in London!

An American Werewolf in London (1981) is the best werewolf movie, innovative in combining horror and comedy, and features a transformation effect by Rick Baker that all other werewolf films have to recognize.  It is a painful, lengthly transformation with fingers extending, hair sprouting from his body, and a snout protruding from the human face.  It is not the simple fangs and transitions of the Wolfman.  One of the best mazes I’ve been to was at Universal Horror Nights in 2014 which had a faithful recreation of the film.  I was stunned that the set decoration, werewolves, looked like the movie so it was the most like walking into a film.  It was interesting that I talked to David Naughton at a convention and he said he went through that maze!  

The film is written and directed by John Landis.  He directed The Blues Brothers (1980), the year before this movie.  We see green hills at sunset while Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Moon” plays during the credits which gives a retro vibe so we understand that this is not your typical horror movie.  The vistas of hills resolve to a road with a truck that pulls up to a road sign that is between Leshire and East Proctor.  The driver drops the gate to reveal two hitchhikers sitting next to his sheep.  He points the direction for East Proctor and warns them to stay away from the moors.  The two hitchhikers are David Kessler (David Naughton) in his red parka and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) in his light green parka.  Naughton was recently in a 2015 episode of American Horror Story.  Dunne is in this year’s Ocean’s Eight.    

Jack mentions that they are hiking Northern England before going to Italy for their three months of vacation time.  David is the nice everyman American.  Griffin plays a wise guy joker.  They walk towards a town and find a pub, The Slaughtered Lamb.  They enter the pub and this disturbs all of the usual customers.  They take off their back packs and order tea.  Jack sees on the wall a red pentangle which he says is the mark of the Wolfman.  This is one of the horror movies that was self-aware of horror tropes fifteen years before Scream.  One customer (Brian Glover) takes up talk of Texas to bring up his airplane joke.  Jack asks about the star which silences the laughter.  

A dart thrower (David Schofield) has also missed because of the question and is angry at Jack.  The owner, Gladys (Lila Kaye), doesn’t want them to leave.  The dart thrower tells them to stay on the road.  It’s a secluded town that keeps its secrets.  They leave and Gladys is worried about them to be outside since it would lead to murder.  It starts to rain and they head towards the moors.  At the pub, they hear a wolf howling, then David and Jack hear the howling.  Jack notices it is a full moon and that they didn’t follow the warning.  They try walking lost in the moors and then hear growling.  Jack and David start running, but David falls.  The wolf leaps on Jack and starts mauling him as David runs.  He turns around and sees Jack’s body.  The wolf slashes at David and is driven off by the rifles of the townsmen.  

The Slaughtered Lamb, outside of An American Werewolf in London house, Universal Horror Nights, 2014, photo by the author. 

David looks up to see the night sky, turns to see Jack’s body, and then looks at the towns people crowded around him.  This fades to black.  David with claw marks on his cheek calls for Jack as the blinds are opened to a new day by a nurse, Alex Price (Jenny Agutter).  Agutter was in Logan's Run (1976), Darkman (1990), and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).  They are at St. Martin's Hospital.  She checks on David opening his eyes as another nurse, Susan, enters.  Dr. Hirsch (John Woodvine) finds them talking about the tourist from New York.  The doctor notes to Nurse Price that they were attacked by a “lunatic”, which of course is a term for person driven insane by the moon.  There is the perspective of an animal moving on a forested road.  David is wakened by Dr. Hirsch who introduces himself and then Mr. Collins (played by Frank Oz!).  

David is told he is in a London hospital and that Jack is dead.  Mr. Collins tells him that their parents were informed.  David is confused and struggles saying he wants to see Jack.  Dr. Hirsch calls for Nurse Price to get a sedative and he injects David with it.  Mr. Collins says he has given permission by the police to interview him.  Dr. Hirsch says he has been at the hospital for three weeks.  David groggily say it wasn’t a lunatic, it was a wolf, and this surprises Nurse Price.  David falls asleep.  Later, Dr. Hirsch finishes a phone call and then informed about Inspector Villiers (Don McKillop) and Sgt. McManus (Paul Kember) arriving.  They ask about the attack on the moors.  Sgt. McManus spills some plates.  

Inspector Villiers does not agree with David’s story, the town has witnesses, and the police officers leave.  There seems to be a conspiracy to cover up the attack.  Dr. Hirsch says David’s memory will return.  We get another running through the forest, David running naked, and he sees two deers.  David leaps for one and then, covered in blood, bites its head.  Nurse Price checks on a young patient, Benjamin, who repeatedly says “No” and smiles.  She asks an orderly about David, but he is too busy.  Nurse Price walks into his room and finds David asleep with his lunch tray left uneaten.  He takes off his headphones and Nurse Price wants him to eat so she can give him pills.  Nurse Price, Alex, sits on his bed to force feed David.  He looks at Alex and takes another bite of the lunch.  She is the caring nurse who maybe has a little of the Florence Nightingale effect.  

David is running in the forest with his backpack. He stops and sees himself in the hospital bed.  Alex looks at him and smiles.  A pale, demonic David opens his eyes.  Dr. Hirsch is washing his hands, asks about David’s dreams, and then checks his wounds.  He believes the police’s story and tells David he has a few days before his release.  Dr. Hirsch later checks out David’s story at The Slaughtered Lamb, he is the investigator to the supernatural mystery.  Alex is reading a book when David wakes up from his sleep.  He says she is beautiful.  Alex reads A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court to David.  Then, David is watching an episode of The Muppet Show which of course has Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz). 

His family is watching it and there is a knock at the door so David’s father (Gordon Sterne) goes to answer it.  He opens the door and is shot by Nazi zombies with machine guns.  They give out a screech.  One of them holds a knife to David and his mother (Paula Jacobs) is shot.  Then, zombies shoot his brother, Max (Mark Fisher), and sister, Rachel (Michele Brisigotti).  They take torches from the fireplace and set the house on fire.  David can only watch as a knife is held to his throat.  The zombies continue to shoot up the house.  David’s throat is cut and he suddenly wakes from the nightmare.  Nurse Price is there and opens the window blinds, there is a Nazi zombie that stabs her, David wakes again.  

An orderly brings David his breakfast.  He sees the zombie of Jack, body torn with bloody claw marks, he asks for some toast.  This is a spirit in the same condition as his death seven years before Beetlejuice.  He finds that he can see the victims of the werewolf.  Jack explains that David’s parents came to his funeral.  Jack is there to tell David they were attacked by a werewolf and that he will be in limbo until the curse is lifted.  Jack tells him that David is the last of the werewolves and he has to kill himself.  David calls for the nurse and cries as Jack gives him the warning about the full moon in two days.  Alex finds him crying and David kisses her.  He says to her that he is a werewolf and was visited by Jack.  The attraction between them of course ends with David staying at her place, but he can’t escape his curse.  An American Werewolf in London has some terror mixed with lighter moments and a little romance thrown in!  

Four Backpacks out of Five! 

#AnAmericanWerewolfinLondon, #JohnLandis, #DavidNaughton, #JennyAgutter 

Re:tro Re:view - Bram Stoker’s Dracula!

There has been countless versions of Dracula over the years, the classic Bela Lugosi who brought elegance and a kind of creepiness to the count, and the Christopher Lee Hammer Horror Dracula. Still, the one stand-out is Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1991) directed by Francis Ford Coppola who captured the narrative of the original novel, the gothic feel, and the romance that was in Bram Stoker’s story. The screenplay is by James V. Hart who wrote the screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991) and Contact (1997) directed by Robert Zemeckis. The score by Wojciech Kilar brings in the brooding keys of the piano and violins, we know this is Gothic horror. 

There is mist, a falling crucifix, and we get the narration by Anthony Hopkins as Abraham Van Helsing. He says it is the year 1462 with the Turks taking over Constantinople. We see a map and the shadow of a crescent moon staff focusing on Transylvania. Van Helsing tells about a knight of the Sacred Order of the Dragon named Dracula. Then, we see the bearded Gary Oldman in red armor. The costume designs by Eiko Ishioka are stunning and won her an Academy Award. He is given his helmet by his bride, Elisabeta (Winona Ryder), in elaborate green dress and crown, whom he kisses. I really like the combination of the historical Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula, and the fictional count.  

The shadowy forms of soldiers move like pantomimes across the red skies. The battle is bloody and surreal. The visual effects were by Roman Coppolla. Then, we see the bodies impose on spears.   Dracula takes off his helmet and kisses his gold cross. He sees the face of Elisabeta and then rides off. Van Helsing explains that Turks sent an arrow with a message that Dracula was dead. We see Elisabeta at the edge and Van Helsing explains that she thought he was dead and throws herself down. The doors open and Dracula enters, Elisabeta’s body lies with her letter, and we hear her voice writing the letter. Dracula weeps, a priest (played by Hopkins) says since she committed suicide.  

Dracula rages and renounces the church that he feels betrayed him. He takes his sword and stabs the stone cross, it bleeds, and he drinks from it. The cross gushes blood that pools at Elisabeta as a wind howls around Dracula. Then, we get the heading “London, 1897, four centuries later.”  Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) is given the news that Renfield has lost his mind and Harker is given the assignment to make arrangements for Count Dracula buying property in London. He delivers the news to his fiancee, Mina Murray, also played by Winona Ryder. She is in a green Victorian-era dress. We see peacock feathers pass like watchful eyes. A closeup of one dissolves to the orange skies of a train tunnel. The cinematography is by Michael Ballhaus.  

We hear the narration of Jonathan Harkness writing in his journal, “25th of May, Budapest”, the train chugs along scrolling at the top of the journal, incredible visual. He reads a letter from D welcoming him to the Carpathian Mountains. Jonathan reads it as the pink eye watches from the red sky. He regards a photo of Mina, this turns to the diary of Mina Murray on the same day, she types as the rain falls on the window. Then, we get a carriage silhouetted agains the blue night.  Lighting strikes like a claw on the sky. This movie is filled with sumptuous visuals. The carriage team stops and Jonathan is given a cross before being left off. Wolves growl and howl as another carriage rides up from the mist. The driver reaches out with a clawed hand and pulls him into the carriage. 

It races on the edge of a cliff to Castle Dracula, the profile of which is a sitting man, design by comic artist Mike Mignola.  The carriage reaches circles of blue flame and passes through it.  Jonathan sees the gate close like fangs.  He is left at the castle steps as the carriage pulls away.  The gate opens and Jonathan sees a shadow form on the wall slip to the aged form of Count Dracula in a red robe.  The make-up by Greg Cannom, Michele Burke, Matthew W. Mungle won them an Academy Award.   He invites Jonathan in and we see the long trail of the count’s robe as he leads him to a table.  Jonathan is given a full meal and sees a portrait of the count.  He pulls a sword and threatens Jonathan for joking.  Jonathan apologizes and continues dining, the shadow of the count moves independently against the map of London.  The shadows are a nod to F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922).  He congratulates the count for ownership of Carfax Abbey.  The count knocks over ink that spills on the picture of Mina.  Tears fall as he recognizes Elisabeta.  

He hands the picture back to Jonathan. The count invites Jonathan to stay a month at his castle.  He flings his cape which floods darkness around Jonathan. A close up of a type writer as Mina composes her diary, there is sunlight of a day as she writes about her friend, Lucy, and her life as a school teacher. Lucy Western (Sadie Frost) appears in a pink dress to check on her friend. Mina knocks over a book of Arabian Nights and they both look at scandalous pictures in it. Close up of harp strings plucked that shifts us to a castle. Lucy notes her suitors at her party, one of whom is Quincey P. Mores (Billy Campbell), a Texan complete with coat and mustache. Campbell was earlier the lead in The Rocketeer (1991). Mina watches as Lucy goes to take his pistol.  

Lucy turns to help up Dr. Jack Seward who runs an asylum (Richard E. Grant).  Grant was in Hudson Hawk (1991). Lucy’s attention is lost to another visitor, Lord Arthur Hollywood (Cary Elwes). Elwes was of course Westley in The Princess Bride (1987). The Dracula movies usually have just Jonathan and Doctor Seward (who has Renfield in his care) without the other suitors. We later see Renfield played by Tom Waits. The shadow of the count hangs over them. Mina mentions her jealousy over Lucy and the count’s shadow moves to her. His clawed fingers pass over her neck and then his shadow covers her. We pick up with Jonathan’s journal at the 30th of May. The writings of the journal are seen next to the Castle Dracula. He is suspicious of the count. The hand of Count Dracula stretches out as Jonathan shaves using a mirror. His hand touches Jonathan’s shoulder, he turns, and sees the count at the doorway.  

Dracula seems to slide over to him and hisses shattering the mirror.  He has Jonathan’s shaving knife and when Jonathan turns, he licks the blood from the blade.  Dracula asks for the letters from Jonathan and places them in his robe.  He begins to shave Jonathan’s neck and chin warning him not to explore the castle.  Dracula sees the crucifix and leaps backwards.  Jonathan hears the wolves howling outside, Dracula says the famous line, “Listen to them, the children of the night, what sweet music they make.”  He withdraws with his red robe trailing behind him.  Jonathan opens the window to see Dracula crawling down the castle wall, it is a nice effect, but not disturbingly unnatural.  

Dracula’s helmet from Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit, 2016, photo by the author. 

Jonathan’s narration continues explaining that he is a prisoner of the count. He wanders the castle and takes a rest on a bed, unseen footsteps are on the sheet, and from between his legs emerges a bride of Dracula played by Monica Bellucci in one of her first film roles. Another rises from the sheets next to him. The first bride tears open his shirt to reveal the crucifix, she raises her hand and the crucifix dissolves, then kisses him. Another bites his wrist, then his neck, Dracula appears in a burst of mist, one bride is thrown to the ceiling and she retreats. The others form some two bodied formation to withdraw and Dracula says Jonathan belongs to him. Jonathan screams and collapses which makes Dracula laugh. Mina reads Jonathan letter next to fountain. Castle Dracula, Jonathan sees the gypsies serving Dracula filled boxes with earth for Carfax Abbey. A box opens and Dracula in a golden robe rises up!  

Lucy runs down the steps to tell Mina that she has chosen Arthur Holmwood. Mina says she is worried about Jonathan. Raindrops begin to fall, the stormy skies are seen with Dracula’s eyes, then we see a sailing ship, the Demeter. It sails the rough seas from “Varna to London.” Van Helsing reads the letters from the captain about the storm. Dracula’s face is cocooned. The crew start to end up missing.  Dracula’s wolfish face is seen as blood splatters against the mast. The storm pours down as the Demeter approaches. There is a fast pov moving through London, then up the steps, Mina goes to close the doors battered by the wind. Lucy is out in the storm wandering in a red dress and Mina follows her. The wolf form of Dracula bites Lucy’s neck, he turns to see Mina, there is a vision of the blood flowing underneath.  

Dracula tells her not to see him and everything fades to white. Mina rushes to check on Lucy and thinks she’s dreaming. We get a map of London which opens to Carfax Abbey. We see workers bringing the boxes to the abbey. Van Helsing explains that vampires can move about by day, but with weak powers. A youthful form of Dracula bursts from his casket. We see newspapers and then London streets as if from a zoetrope with sped up, jerky movements. Dracula is walking the streets in grey suit, top hat, and blue glasses. He spots Mina a green dress and says, “See me.” Dracula watches Mina in a store and catches her bottle as she walks out. He apologizes and asks about the cinematograph. Dracula says he is Prince Vlad and Mina introduces herself.   

Dr. Seward is brought in to check on Lucy in her extravagant white dress. He says he is there as a doctor and she says she is changing. Quincey and Arthur Hollywood ride up and Arthur asks about Lucy. They find Lucy breathing in gasping breaths. Dr. Seward wants to cable his mentor, Abraham Van Helsing, and Arthur agrees staring at the suffering Lucy. She pulls down her collar revealing two bite marks. These dissolve into the green eyes of a wolf. Two screens show the early black and white cinema pictures. Prince Vlad is impressed by the science. Mina is about to leave and he pulls her towards him. She pleads for him to stop, Dracula says, “I have crossed oceans of time to find you”, his eyes glare red and his fangs extend. He can’t bite her and there is a scream as a white wolf is seen.  

We see pantomimes of soldiers like in the earlier battle. Mina races with the fleeing crowd and sees the wolf calmed by Dracula’s command. She pets the wolf and smiles. Dracula sees Mina home and kisses her hand. Castle Dracula, Jonathan is held by the brides, he hopes to escape. A carriage pulls up to Lucy's house and the rider is Abraham Van Helsing. The wolf approaches Lucy’s window. Prince Vlad is there, Lucy moans in bed, as the shadowy hand of Dracula moves across the room. Jack says she look anemic to Van Helsing. They hear a scream and race to see Lucy as the shadow withdraws. He sees the bite marks on her neck.  Van Helsing takes out his equipment for an experimental transfusion with Arthur Holmwood. He is eccentric, but is the one person who understands the threat. When Jonathan returns to London, he has to join the others to fight Dracula, even to his homeland. Bram Stoker's Dracula is a horror movie steeped in Bram Stoker's story with surreal visuals and stunning costumes!            

   

Four Journals out of Five! 

#BramStokersDracula, #FrancisFordCoppolla, #GaryOldman, #WinonaRyder

Star Wars: Resistance, “The High Tower”, Review!

The Colossus base, Kaz stumbles in the dark knocking over Bucket knocking him down in the hangar, Tam rights him.  Neeku contacts Kaz over the comlink standing next to him.  He moves closer and the feedback blares into Kaz’s ears.  Captain Doza (Jason Hightower) makes an announcement not to use power.  Looks like his base is named the actor.  They head over to Aunt Zee and order drinks.  The power goes off in the bar.  Aunt Zee notes Captain Doza in the High Tower and she says he is part of the First Order! The power comes back on as Kaz, Tam, Neeku, and BB-8 at their table.  Hype Fazon (Donald Faison), Rodian ace pilot, walks in. His last name sounds like a space-y version of the actor’s name. Neeku mentions that Hey was Tam’s friend.  Kaz wants an introduction, but goes himself.  He is impressed at Hype’s racing ship.  Hype mentions a fuel shipment and notes that Doza is connected with the First Order.  Kaz mentions to them powering up BB-8, the droid fakes losing power, and Kaz rolls him away.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The High Tower” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

A pilot, Freya (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn), leads three ships for escorting a tanker.  An Ugnaught waves off some birds and notes to Kaz that there is a curfew.  Tam with Neeku walk up to them.  She thinks he is studying the ace pilots who bring in their escort.  They see a red stormtrooper leading others from the ramp. We are getting closer to the First Order connection and the spy.  Still, this is an odd episode to have a base warning and no sign of Yeager.  They find Neeku has walked off to talk to the First Order and try to warn him through the com link.  Neeku greets them, Major Vonreg and his stormtrooper guard detail pass by him.  Neeku’s com link broadcasts while the star troopers pass Kaz and Tam.  Kaz wants to get to the High Tower. She goes over how Hype has grown arrogant as an ace pilot while he walks up to her.  Hype invites them to the Ace Lounge and clears them into the High Tower.  Kaz pounds some snacks brought in trays by a droid.  He sees the First Order and talks to Hype about them.  

Tam is angry over the Fireball crash and Hype. Kaz sneaks off to follow the stormtroopers.  He sees the droid with a tray and drops Neeku’s com link on his tray as it enters to place the tray in the room with Major Vonreig.  He hears the major say that pirates are causing Captain Doza trouble.  Major Vonreig leaves with the thereat as Kaz hides to the side as they leave.  The feedback hit as the droid brings the tray.  The stormtroopers chase after Kaz!  He runs through the corridors as the stormtroopers fire stun blasts.  Kaz has stormtroopers at both sides of the corridor.  He enters a door as a female droid questions the stormtroopers.  Kaz finds it is the room of Tora, the female ace pilot he raced in the pilot, she thinks he entered the room to pursue her.  Tora sends Kaz out of the window worried what her father might think.  The stormtroopers check the room.  Kaz is on the next level trying to make his way across.  Neeku sees him at Aunt Zee’s bar and bets are made at his failure.  He attempts a leap across a ledge and makes another leap when a stormtroopers fire lethal shots at him.  Kaz falls in through a door opened by BB-8.  He hopes to contact Poe.  Captain Doza and Tora confront Major Vonreig.  She covers Kaz saying he was a visiting friend.  Kaz returns to the hangar with BB-8.  He says he was in an “unauthorized area.”  Tam drops a tool on him.  Kaz gives Neeku back his comlink and the power comes back on.  Captain Doza has a security cam footage of Kaz.  I don’t think Captain Doza is the spy, too easy, and he does business with the First Order, but doesn’t like them.  We get more action, but Yeager’s unexplained disappearance is confusing.    

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsResistance, #TheHighTower, #JasonHighTower, DonaldFaison

Doctor Who, “Arachnids in the UK”, Review!

The title of this episode is a clever play on the Sex Pistols song, “Anarchy in the UK”, released in 1976.  We had Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor find her Tardis and bring Ryan, Graham, and Yaz back to Sheffield after a stopover in 1955, Montgomery, Alabama.  A house on a green field, inside are carpeted floors and tiled floors, we pan across them until we get a man in a suit, Jack Robertson (Chris Noth from Sex and the City).  He asks a woman, Frankie (Jaleh Alp), what is the problem and she says it’s the logistics.  Jack is worried about his prospects in 2020.  Yup, we can get the American satire, but Not really leans into it.  They are interrupted by another woman, Najia Khan (Shobna Gulati).  She says she will be his general manager and he fires her.  The Tardis moves across the Vortex through time and space.  We move into the Tardis as the Doctor checks on the steaming console.  The Tardis materializes in Park Hill, Sheffield right by Yaz’s flat.  The Doctor explains that it was a half an hour since they started their journey.  She is about to say goodbye to them, Graham thanks her, and Yaz invites her to tea instead of traveling alone.  A nice moment. Graham goes on his own.  

DOCTOR WHO -- “Anarchids in the UK” -- Ben Blackall/BBC Studios.  

Yaz says hi to her neighbor, Jade McIntyre (Tanya Fear), on her cell phone and the Doctor spots a spider web on the ceiling.  The character of Jade is interesting as a scientist and potential ally.  Yaz’s family, her father, Hakim (Ravin J. Ganatra) and sister Sonya (Bhavnisha Parmar), are amazed she has friends.  Yaz argues with his father who has kept bags of rubbish in the flat.  Yaz gets a call from her mother, the woman who was fire, and wants her to give her a ride.  She passes a spider’s web.  Graham enters his home, another spider-web in the corner, he hears the voice of Grace reminding me of chores.  The Doctor sees Jade who has not been able to contact the neighbor and she  checks the door.  She uses her sonic screwdriver to open the door, the room is covered in thick cobwebs, they cover every room.  Graham smells Grace’s coat and hears her voice.  He walks upstairs and finds a dead spider the size of a Facehugger.  Ryan opens the curtains of Anna’s bedroom and they find her cocooned in webs.  They search for the spider and Ryan is startled as a giant one crawls out from under the bed.  The Doctor finds garlic which spiders dislike and they find it crawling on the ceiling and then descending.  Not an episode for arachnophobes!  Graham runs up saying he’s seen the spider.  The Doctor questions Jade about what she knows.  Yaz’s family waits for her.  

Jade explains that she is a research scientist who has found something unusual with the spiders in Sheffield.  Graham has found a note from Ryan’s father and gives it to him, but he puts it in his jacket unread.  Frankie walks down a cobwebbed corridor and with a flashlight enters a rocky tunneler, she screams, and her cellphone falls.  Yaz drives to the new hotel.  She hugs Najia and Yaz is interested in looking around the hotel.  Her mother tells her that she has been fired.  Jack has a security guard, Kevin (William Meredith) with a gun and he says they are trespassing.  Inside Jade’s lab, she has been working on an enzyme to extend the life of spiders, she shows the Doctor a map of Sheffield and the spider sightings.  The Doctor connects the sightings with a marker and there is a center point to the spider web, the hotel.  Jack takes them to a room covered in spider webs.  He gets a notification for a bathroom break.  Yaz and her mother hear a scrambling, she listens to the wall and behind it is the legs of the giant spider.  Najia gets a call, it’s the Doctor.  She wants to get Yaz’s help to enter the hotel.  Jack washes up and hears something in the bathtub drain.  The bathtub shatters and the giant spider emerges, Kevin tries shooting the spider and screams, Jack hears this behind the door. 

DOCTOR WHO -- “Anarchids in the UK” -- Ben Blackall/BBC Studios.  

The Doctor and the others hear gun shots.  The cobwebbed Kevin is dragged back the hole.  Jack runs into the Doctor and her group.  The Doctor explains to Yaz that the spiders are everywhere.  The Doctor leans into the hole faces the spider and runs.  They reach the hotel entrance, but it is covered by webs.  Najia tells them to head to the kitchen.  The Doctor doesn’t recognize Jack Robertson, she thinks he might be Ed Sheeran.  Graham thinks he might be running to be president.  A real estate mogul going to be president.  The Doctor has a plan, but needs the hotel plans and a spider!  A spider crawls on the carpeted hall, Graham is there, Ryan covers it with a pot.  Swarms of spiders flood the ceiling!  The Doctor says the connection between the flat and hotel is Najia.  Jack says it took five years to build the hotel.  Najia says the original site was a coal mine.  Jade checks on the spider from Ryan and Graham and says they need to get another.  The Doctor and the others head to the mines.  She uses the sonic screwdriver to open the door.  The Doctor sees the cobwebbed bodies of the victims.  She pulls open one cocoon and Jack recognizes Frankie.  The Doctor opens another to find Kevin.  Jack takes Kevin’s gun.  They reach the end of the mine and find a landfill.  The Doctor says it is toxic.  Najia is not happy that the landfill is reaching the flat.  They look at a cavern of waste that the Doctor says is the perfect  the modified spider mutate.  

Ryan tells Graham that he read the letter as they search for another spider.  They look up tat the ceiling and find a spider the size of a van in the ballroom.  Jade says it’s pheromones are warping spiders’ instincts.  The Doctor has Jack Robertson opens his panic room.  Yaz closes the door.  Jack has supplies, guns, and a book.  The Doctor wants to lure the spiders to the panic room to deal with the mother spider.  Ryan pumps his tunes into the sound system that sends the spiders crawling after the source, spider dance party?  Jack has his gun.  The Doctor is telling the others to get tanks of a peppermint mixture, spider repellent. Jade notices that the mother spider is suffocating from her size.  Some real science slipped in here, spiders and insects can only reach a certain size because their breathing mechanisms. Jack moves in with his gun.  It falls over and the Doctor is angry at his disrespect of life.  No comeuppance for Jack Robertson.  I sense all of the loose threads will appear again.  Ryan tells Graham he is going to see the Doctor.  Graham sees Grace in the mirror, he can’t say goodbye.  At Yaz’s flat, the rubbish is put away, Najia sends her daughter off.  Yaz meets Ryan and Graham in front of the Tardis.  He knocks and the door opens.  They enter the Tardis and find the Doctor.  Graham doesn’t want to sit around the house.  They want to join the Doctor and she doesn’t guarantee their safety.  The Doctor says they won’t return the same.  She welcomes Team Tardis and they all take hold of the space time throttle and pull it down!  This is the best joining of Companions in Doctor Who!  They make a serious commitment, not a frivolous joining for adventure or boredom, and make a strong team!   

Five Sonic Screwdrivers out of Five!   

#DoctorWho, #AnarchidsintheUK, #ChrisNoth, #ShobnaGulati

Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Warner Bros Horror Made Here!

Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank has an incredible studio tour in the day, but opened some of the nights for Horror Made Here for the Halloween season.  This was the third year for the event which ended last night, so if you missed it, you can try next year.  The ticket was very affordable compared to a rival theme park Halloween event.  I compare it against the price of Disneyland ticket and this was less, not two and half times more.  There is a security check and tram ride from the studio tour complex.  You have your ticket scanned after a queue area of carnival rides.  The entrance was filled with scare actor clowns.  There was a drop ride in the center of the square and a stage with a dj.  I was drawn to the house with the Joker, it had the Batmobile from Justice League parked outside, this was Escape from Arkham Asylum.  It is based on the Batman: Arkham Asylum game from 2009 by Rocksteady Studios.  I think Arkham Asylum was in the same building as Rosewood High School from Pretty Little Liars.     

Escape from Arkham, Warner Bros Horror Made Here, photo by the author. 

After you enter the gate, it leads up the steps to the asylum, paintings on the walls have been upgraded with Joker black light paint.  Then, you get the photo op that is an inmate mugshot with the identification placard.  Afterwards, you are lined up, the first time was by Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and later in the night, it was Harley Quinn.  I like both, but it makes more sense with Dr. Quinzel.  She leads you past Arkham Security with an empty desk to the courtroom of the Joker.  He rules from a podium far above you and your fellow inmates, Dr. Quinzel brings you in, to get a welcome and introduction to the asylum by the Clown Prince of Crime.  Next, you are taken to an elevator, from somewhere a female inmate appears to yell at you.  

Then, you are taken past cells of inmates, the Riddler is there swiping at you with his question mark cane, there is visitor windows that seem to be crawling with insects!  You continue on past a go go dancer in a cage.  In a long cage is Two Face who menaces you with a cane that sparks against the cage!  The next room has a wall of guns with the Penguin and the massive, man-eating plant of Poison Ivy.  There is a hall with the tilted neon doors that made me kinda dizzy.  This leads to the clown henchmen of the Joker, then the Joker himself, he points the way out.  On the way out, you get a surprise and send off by Harley Quinn!  I absolutely loved this house and everyone in it.  Escape from Arkham Asylum is the ultimate Batman experience.      

The Joker, Escape from Arkham, photo by the author.

Outside of the IT house is two photo ops, one in front of a ruined house with Georgie, the young boy victim at the beginning of the movie, in his yellow rain coat and red balloon.  The other is with the sewer grate and Pennywise grinning from within.  The IT Knows What Scares You house was next.  No cellphones pics were allowed in this one.  You enter the house, lights flicker, a man is frozen in terror in his chair.  A headless man stumbles past you.  There is the blood-covered bathroom with Beverly Marsh pleading for help.  You walk out of the house and the mist where Georgie screams, “You’ll float too!”  Henry Bowers taunts you.  You re-enter the house and walk past severed limbs, creepy, and then slabs of meat.  You walk outside and see the leper man groaning at you.  Then, back into the house with red balloons, honestly the balloons creeped me out.  

Georgie has you pick one of the three doors.  Then into a room of clowns, wish there was a giggling sound, there is a clown who swiped at my eyes.  You enter the lair of Pennywise with the floating body of Beverly Marsh.  This finishes with Pennywise himself, but he was behind me so I wasn’t scared.  So the timing wasn’t perfect for me.  Then, I went to the Conjuring Universe house, this was a 45 minute wait since each room has a show component.  In the queue area there is some headstones and the witch’s hanging body.  Before you enter the house, to the left porch, Annabelle appears from the darkness, great effect that had the group ahead of me scream.  The first room has bodies under sheets. 

Annabelle outside of the Conjuring Universe house, photo by the author. 

The guide with glasses prepares you and is going to take you to the Relic Room, but warns not to touch anything.  This is a recreation of the basement room of the Warrens.  A new guide, who is an expert, checks out the case, but Annabelle is missing.  She leads you to the house on the other side with a new guide.  Annabelle is there in a rocking chair.  There is a wardrobe and some spirit drags a screaming victim back.  I always wanted a scare actor to pretend to be part of a group and then attacked so you don't know if you are next.  Then, you have to walk into the wardrobe, Carolyn is sitting with a sheet over her head, then starts screaming and twitching.  I lost all rational thought then and just held up my arms as I walked through.  I have been to Universal Studio Horror Nights and Knott's Scary Farm and the scares are usually grabs at your eyes or chainsaw sounds, but this was mental terror that I just lost it.  

You end by the stairs and there is a picture of the Nun and an old man in a chair.  A shadow moves to the picture, fingers appear on it, and the Nun races toward you and the old man rises from the chair!  This was the most terrified I’ve been in any maze.  I next went to Stage 48: Script to Scream which is part of the regular studio tour.  There were displays of Tim Burton films.  Costumes from Mars Attacks! (1996) and Sweeney Todd (2007), the outfits of Lydia with the Handbook of the Recently Deceased on a shelf, and the costumes of the Maitlands from Beetlejuice (1988).  Across from them is the red wedding tux of Beetlejuice.  There is also the lobster glove hand and a model of the town.  I haven’t been to the studio in some time so it was great to see the costumes of Supergirl, The Flash, and Arrow.   

Jason at Nightmare at Camp Crystal Lake, photo by the author. 

The last area I saved for last since it was closing early, Nightmare on Camp Crystal Lake, there is a bit of a wait to board a tram that takes you to another part of the studio.  There is bamboo stalks and a Camp Crystal Lake banner.  Mist covers the lake and there is a dock, a woman is there, she screams and the water thrashes as Jason appears!  He walks out of the lake with his machete.  I’ve seen this in countless Friday the 13th films, but to be there in the woods, at night, with nothing around you is something else.  You see tents, a burning house with a shadowy figure, Freddy Krueger appears.  A woman runs past, Jason walks towards you, it is freaky with the echoing voice and pulsing music.  It is all corny in a movie, but hear it at night, in a "forest."  A victim is pined to a tree with archery targets below him.  Then, you enter a cabin, there are rows of beds, a body is pined to the doorway.  Bodies hang from the ceiling, Freddy threatens you, and more dead bodies are around a room. 

Then, Jason, backlit stands before the exit.  The beginning was spooky, but the house was regular scares to me.  The tram back drops you off at Stage 48.  I will say I like the scare actors wandering the square especially the bride with the bloody eye.  Later, Jason and Freddy walked the square.  Georgie wandered from the photo op and through the Arkham Asylum line.  One of the best parts of Horror Made Here is that if you want a photo of a character or scare actor just wait.  Groups of fifteen or so are in the houses there is some time in between to get a good pic.  I saw people waiting at the exit of IT who took pics with Pennywise and of course the pics I took some in houses and some outside.  This doesn't happen all of the time at other Halloween events.  The drinks were water, lemonade, and sodas which was kinda disappointing with no ice tea or other drinks.  The Lost Boys arcade had only a few basic games.  You can develop your photo ops, but I was too tired at the end of the night.  I absolutely loved the entire experience and hope you can go sometime!   

#WarnerBrosStudioTour, #HorrorMadeHere, #EscapefromArkhamAsylum, ConjuringUniverse 

Re:tro Re:view - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!

The Halloween movie reviews were supposed to go down by the decades as much as possible, but there is an anomaly.  I forgot a recent film I think is one of the best horror movies in recent memory, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!  It is based on the 2010 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith who wrote the screenplay.  I read the book and know about the follow up novel, The Last American Vampire (2015) which is set to developed as a television show for NBC.  The movie is directed by Timur Bekmambetov who directed Night Watch (2004), Wanted (2008), and produced Searching.  I’m fascinated by Bekmambetov’s films, they have an energy and visual style that makes every movie interesting.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was released in the same year as Steven Spielberg’s more historically accurate Lincoln and I will say as much as I’ve read and learned about Lincoln, the former is more informative.  Yes, he wasn’t a vampire hunter, but I got an understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln more than the latter, his children, his background, and his friend, Joshua Speed, so yes, Daniel Day-Lewis is a better actor, but I didn’t learn anything new from that film.  Side note: this film has some of the best use of 3D in any movie, so much so that I drove quite a distance to see it again in 3D.  

The movie begins with narration by Abraham Lincoln played by Benjamin Walker who was earlier in Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and later appeared in the film, In The Heart of the Sea (2015).  He speaks of legends and says that “History remembers the battle and forgets the blood.”  We see the Washington Monument at sunset, beautiful shot, and then as he continues his narration there is a quick dissolve to it’s construction, first shot that was stunning in 3D.  We move to the White House and the date, April 14, 1865.  Abraham Lincoln is writing in a diary of his secret history and then takes the fateful carriage ride as we see a mysterious man waves to him with the diary.  He is played by Dominic Cooper who was Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Agent Carter (2015-2016) and is currently the lead in the Preacher television program.  Lincoln starts off his diary with his boyhood in Pigeon Creek, Indiana, 1818.  Young Abraham is working on a dock, when he sees the parents of his friend, Will, taken away.  His father, Thomas (Joseph Mawie), tells him to ignore them.  Will is whipped by a brutal worker, Abraham picks up his axe, and rushes Barts, but it is caught and he is thrown down.  The whip comes down, a terrifying 3D effect, and lashes Will’s cheek.  

Thomas Lincoln punches the worker into the water and he is tapped by Jack Barts.  Martin Csokas plays Barts, he played Celeborn in the Lord of the Rings films, Aeon Flux (2005), and lately played Quinn in the television series, Into the Badlands (2015-2017). Nancy Lincoln checks on her son, she says to Barts, “Till every man is free, we are all slaves.”  This is of course a fictional incident, but I absolutely love that Abraham takes his strength and bravery from his father and will and intelligence from his mother.  Barts fires Thomas and asks for all of his debt to be paid.  Thomas snaps away his walking stick and Barts has a small pistol pointed at him.  We can see Nancy Lincoln reflected in Bart’s dark glasses, nice shot.  Night, Abraham is in the loft in the family cabin writing in his diary, he hears a creaking.  Spying, he sees the door open, Barts enters and takes hold of Nancy’s arm.  Barts looks up and has all black eyes.  

Then, we hear Nancy screaming, the doctor is confused at her strange illness.  Abraham reads his diary to his mother and then she stares off having passed away.  At her grave marker, Thomas has Abraham promise him not to “do anything foolish.”  Abraham’s narration picks up nine years after his father’s death, the older Abraham is now played by Walker, and he takes a drink.  Next to him is the man we saw at the White House years later, he slaps his back, which makes Abraham drop his pistol.  At the dock, Barts talks to a man named Adam (Rufus Sewell), Abraham watches on a boat underneath the dock.  Sewell is currently Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith in The Man in the High Castle, Gods of Egypt (2016), and earlier he was A Knight’s Tale (2001).  Barts pleads for help from Vadoma (Erin Wasson).  Adam wants Barts to find Henry and wants a “fresh crop” sent south.  Barts sees them rowing on a boat in the misty night.  Abraham climbs up to the dock and takes out his pistol, he says, “For my mother”, and fires.  The pistol fizzles.  Abraham runs and locks himself in a shack.  

He tries to reload his pistol, Barts pushes on the door, and knocks the ball that goes rolling next to a dead, naked woman.  He tries to move the ball with his boot.  Barts bursts through the door and finds Abraham with the pistol and shoots with spectacular 3D effect.  Abraham sees the shot in Bart’s right eye.  He then tosses the pistol into the water and turns to see Barts’ body is missing.  Suddenly, Barts roars at him with fangs!  Barts slams Abraham senseless through the dock.  The man from the bar appears behind Barts.  He takes him and throws him ripping through the roof of the shack.  Day, Abraham wakes up in bed, his right eye closed with a bruise, and his wounds are bandaged.  He finds his diary and then walks the house hearing a woman screaming.  Abraham takes up a brass candlestick and bursts in the door to find a woman, Gabrielle, in a bath with a man.  She exits in a towel and the man introduces himself as Henry Sturgess.  

He says Abraham is a boy and that his target is a vampire.  Henry explains that vampires are in “every city and every state in the Union.”  He has Abraham vow to be a hunter without friends or family.  Henry shows Abraham a wall of guns, but he says he hasn’t had luck with them, and looks at the axe since he was a rail-splitter.  Henry takes Abraham to the forest and wants him to cut down a tree with a single blow with the axe.  He asks Abraham what he hates.  Abraham says Jack Barts, but of course his strike does not knock down the tree, so Henry presses him until Abraham shatters the tree, gonna say it again, awesome in 3D!  Henry tells him that “power doesn’t come from hate, but from truth.”  Next he takes Abraham into a room, he says his enemy can become invisible, so closes the door to complete darkness and beats up Abraham!  In the light, Henry is covered in blood, Abraham with a bloody face, closes the door and says, “Again.”  Love it!  

Abraham begins spinning the axe with martial arts speed, I’ve seen Walker train with the axe in behind the scenes video.  Henry explains that 30 pieces of silver given to Judas is a curse against vampires and coats his axe blade with silver.  At a bar, Henry explains about vampires, Abraham checks a mirror, and then turns to see Barts.  He then shows pictures of Barts, Vadoma, and Adam.  Henry explains that vampires have been feeding on native tribes and settlers.  He says that the vampires have an empire in the South feeding on slaves.  The scene shifts to Springfield, 1837, Abraham rides in after finishing his training.  A shopkeeper throws out a man in front of him.  Abraham walks into his store and the shopkeeper introduces himself as Joshua Speed.  He is played by Jimmi Simpson who is currently William in Westworld, he was Walton in the “USS Callister” (2017) episode of Black Mirror, and earlier was Ronnie Kwok in Knights of Badassdom (2013).  Abraham asks if he has a room, but has spent all of his money on law books.  Joshua has kicked out his assistant and offers Abraham the room for work.  

Abraham writes to Henry about his work life and while stocking the shelves, a woman comes in.  She is looking for some goods and is offended at Abraham calling her “ma’am.”  He drops down and she looks at him.  She introduces herself as Mary Todd.  She is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead who was earlier in Wolf Lake (2001-2002), then Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as Ramona Flowers!, and also in 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016).  Then, comes in a gentleman who was looking for Mary Todd, and introduces himself to Lincoln as Stephen Douglas.  The actor who plays Douglas is Alan Tudyk, Wash from Firefly.  He wants votes to help keep slavery out of Illinois.  Joshua interrupts them handing Abraham a letter.  Henry has his first mission at a pharmacy with Aaron Stibel, Jr.  Night, Joshua thanks Abraham for a day of good work.  Abraham locks up and then runs to get ready for the hunt.  Henry’s letter adds “Always have a contingency plan.”  

Abraham heads to the pharmacy that advertises liniment for sun burn.  Abraham asks the pharmacist if he is Aaron Stibel, Jr., he responds with a roar revealing his fangs!, he pulls a lever for a trap door.  Abraham falls upside down hanging with his legs bound!  He hangs next to victims bleeding into pans.  Aaron Stibel Jr. places a bowl underneath Abraham.  Abraham drops his silver knife to be caught in his mouth and slashes the vampire, then the rope.  He drops down and picks up his axe to finish off the vampire pharmacist.  Abraham buries the body under a fallen tree in the mist.  The next day, Joshua tells Abraham about their invitation to a ball.  Joshua introduces Stephen to Senator Nolan to distract him from Mary Todd. She invites Abraham to dance.  The next letter from Henry arrives sending Abraham to a bank.  Abraham sneaks up behind the banker with his axe, but the vampire disappears.  He throws a handful of sand from his pocket, clever.  The sand clings to the banker, Abraham throws his axe, and shoves the vampire into a shelf severing his head!  

He hunts other vampires.  Abraham stumbles forward scattering the china for his picnic with Mary Todd by a river, very beautiful shot, the cinematography is by Caleb Deschanel.  He tells Mary Todd that he has been working nights hunting vampires.  She takes it lightly and laughs.  At night, he sees her home, she takes his hat to stand on it and kisses him.  He remembers Henry’s hunter vow and Abraham worries about bringing Mary Todd into his world.  Jack Barts watches Mary Todd enter her house.  Riding up to an empty mansion, Vendela hands her brother Adam, the newspaper and Adam asks if the hunter is one of Henry’s disciples.  At night, a man enters the store and asks Abraham what he knows about runaway slave laws.  He turns and Abraham sees the scar, he is happy to see his childhood friend, Will Johnson.  Anthony Mackie plays Will of course known for playing Falcon recently in Avengers: Infinity War, he was earlier in Real Steel (2011), and also The Hurt Locker (2008).  Will has a bounty hunters after him when he was freeing slaves for the Underground Railroad.  This film works as a horror movie, historical drama (debatable truth), twists to history, and an action movie.  

Five Silver Axes out of Five!      

#AbrahamLincolnVampireHunter, #TimurBekmambetov, #BenjaminWalker, #MaryElizabethWinstead